Parenting on the Move: Celebrating a Perfectly Imperfect Parenting Life

Whenever I see new mommy bloggers on social media, I always wonder how they always seem to be so put together. I still remember what it was like when I first had Syrena. Not only were there challenges left and right, but the newness of everything was also very daunting, especially for 22-year-old me.

This is why millennial parents like Isabelle Daza-Semblat rely on help and advice from family members and friends. She has also become very proactive in finding the best products and services for her child, making 'parenting on the move' much more bearable.

Parenting on the move refers to enabling parents to still pursue their own goals and passions even when they already have a family. Doing so doesn’t mean that they’re selfish. In fact, if you are happy and fulfilled on your own, it’ll lead to becoming a better parent to your child. Parenting On The Move is not about being perfect; it is actually about celebrating a perfectly imperfect parenting life.

As she juggles many roles - being a mom, wife, businesswoman, digital influencer, host, and actress, Belle has become more conscious of the products that she uses. Here are some of her current favorites: Pigeon and Quinny.

Pigeon

Being the No. 1 Baby Care brand in Japan, Pigeon has over 60 years experience in the industry and been at the forefront of newborn skincare technology. The brand has developed the Natulayer technology which is a layer of ingredients that mimics the natural coat of protection found on the baby’s skin in the womb.

Included in Pigeon’s Newborn Pure collection is the Newborn Pure Body Wash, Shampoo, Lotion, Oil, and Protective Cream. Making use of natural ingredients, these products contain 0% paraben, formaldehyde, and alcohol. It is also pH balanced to ensure that it is safe and gentle for baby’s skin with the added dual moisturization of Natulayer.

Quinny

Developed in Europe, Quinny is a premier lifestyle juvenile brand with a proud tradition of over 25 years in stroller mobility. The brand is dedicated to creating beautiful, seamless mobility solutions that adapt as a child develops and grows, offering the ideal solution for the present while keeping an eye on the future. 

Quinny products that Belle also enjoys using are the Quinny Moodd and Zapp Flex. An iconic stroller that offers a comfortable and stylish ride from birth until 3½ years old, the Quinny Moodd also offers intelligent features, like quick automatic unfolding and easy folding.

Meanwhile, designed to make parents’ lives easier, the Zapp Flex is a highly maneuverable, lightweight, and comfortable solution. It is one stroller with endless possibilities: with its versatile reversible seat you can let your younger child face you for enhanced bonding moments, or turn the seat forward to give an older child a view of the streets ahead: the stroller features multiple recline in both rear and forward-facing positions

To better discuss the ups and downs of being a parent, Belle together with Richwell’s Maye Yao Co Say, Pigeon’s Yuta Hagiwara, and athlete couple and Maxi-Cosi and Quinny users Janice and Japoy Lizardo all took part in an engaging discussion over high tea for the Parenting on the Move event held last October 18 at McKinley Rd, Forbes Park.

Belle shared the different challenges, struggles as well as her wonderful experiences in parenthood as she is a first-time mom. She shared how she and her husband, as Parents on the Move, are 100% a PARENTEAM. It was a unique event where Belle’s favorite Pigeon and Quinny products were featured and explained in a “house tour” format.

Together with other parents who have generously shared their own experiences in parenting on the move and being satisfied users of Pigeon, Maxi-Cosi, and Quinny products, it wonderfully shows how, with HIGHLY RESEARCHED and TRUSTED BRANDS, enables today’s parents to love their family and pursue their passions, because these brands did the needed extensive research for them.

Make sure to like the products on Facebook and Instagram: Pigeon Philippines, QuinnyPhils, Maxicosiphils.

To learn more about living a perfectly imperfect parenting life, follow the newly launched Facebook and Instagram accounts of parentingonthemove.

You Can Rewatch Marvel Movies on the Big Screen This Week!

Hello, my fellow geeks!!! I've got some awesome news for you today! To celebrate 10 years of amazing Marvel movies (yes, it has been that long, guys!), this is currently ongoing:

Give a very warm welcome to the Marvel Studios 10th Anniversary Movie Marathon aka the movie marathon of awesomeness, which will be running in Philippine theaters starting today until October 21! During this week of awesome, 16 films spanning the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe will be available in select Philippine cinemas FOR ONLY 100 PESOS PER MOVIE. How freaking epic is that?

You can also get a special bundle ticket for all 16 movies at only Php1200 and get a limited edition poster in the process!

For the launch last night, I of course dressed up coz that's how I roll, reviving last year's Loki cosplay:

He called me a puny god.

The movie marathon will include 'Iron Man', the first film to kick off the MCU, as well as all of this year's releases, 'Black Panther', 'Avengers: Infinity War', and 'Ant-Man and The Wasp'.

Most of the MCU movies are on the list, though I'm still left wondering as to why 'Iron Man 2', 'Iron Man 3' and 'Spider-Man: Homecoming' aren't? My current theory is coz, well, Iron Man movies (except the first one) actually kinda suck. Hahaha. Peace tayo, Iron Man fans!

For last night's movie marathon launch, we got to watch 'Avengers: Infinity War' in IMAX and I have got to say: IMAX really is such a different experience. Everything looks downright amazing and the feels of the movie get to you all the more. It makes me wish we had an IMAX theater nearby that offers the marathon.

You can catch the Marvel marathon at the following cinemas: SM Mall of Asia, SM Megamall, SM Davao, SM Seaside, SM Manila, SM Sta. Mesa, SM City Fairview, SM Aura, TriNoMa, Centrio, Glorietta 4, Gateway, Robinsons Galleria, Robinsons Manila, Robinsons North Tacloban, Robinsons Pavia Iloilo, Vista Daang Hari, Vista Pampanga, Vista Bataan, Power Plant, Greenhills Promenade, Festival Mall Cinemas, and Eastwood Cinemas.

I can't wait for 'Captain Marvel' and the second installment of Avengers 4 coming out next year! For now, like Marvel Philippines on Facebook for more updates on your favorite Marvel superheroes!

Casual can get so lonely.

I was never a "good girl" nor do I pretend to be. I enjoy casual sex so much more than the drama that comes with serious relationships; but sometimes, I have to admit that that cycle can get pretty lonely. And so I end up allowing myself to fall for men I originally had no intention of falling for to begin with.

The casual hookups are usually pretty dreary if not downright disappointing, I must admit; but every now and then, I'll meet someone who truly blows me away in one way or another, who stuns me with the depth of their eyes or the signature way that they kiss or their strange quirks in bed or the passion with which they talk about something that they love. It's like seeing something I've seen before, but through entirely different eyes.

And then when these extraordinary people move on with their lives, of which I was merely a blip in their systems; it's like I'm left with a void that suddenly gets even deeper when I meet someone with the same unique eye color or the same quirk, or when I visit a location someone had so intimately described to me.

Imagine feeling that much for someone that may have just been around for a few weeks, sometimes even just a night. Imagine that feeling and then amplify it by a million. That's how fucked up I get after a more serious relationship.

See, I don't mind the single void that gets deeper when something reminds me of someone. What I mind is the million cracks that appear around that void that turn into even more voids. And the worst part is that those voids appear because of things that I had originally loved, things that I was originally very passionate about.

You share all of these private things about you with one single person for months and months on end, and they become a shared experience; and when they leave, you're suddenly left with this hate for your once-favorite movies, your once-favorite songs, and your once-favorite guilty pleasures.

That's why it's so hard to find joy in anything after a serious breakup. The things that used to bring you joy now bring you tears and you no longer have anything to hold on to. You have to build a whole new life without that extra cuddly stuffed toy that you would steal from each other on your bed, without that book that he read out loud to you stored on your bookshelf, without that playlist that you used to listen to before going to sleep.

And let's not kid ourselves: it never gets better. Certain songs will always remind you of certain moments. Certain scents will always remind you of certain nights. And certain places will always remind you of certain memories.

So how do you cope? You drink until you pass out so you don't lie awake thinking while staring at the ceiling. You kiss until you can do it with your eyes closed without thinking about the past. You date until you once again reach that point of vulnerability where you fall for someone without having intended to.

And then it all starts all over again.

The Album 'Malibu Nights' by LANY is a Shot Through the Heart (Times One Million)

It's been a while since an album has made me... feel things. Like really feel things. Like how the Backstreet Boys' self-titled album made me long to watch them live. Or like how Boyz II Men's album 'Cooleyhighharmony' made me feel like my puppy love high school relationship was the real deal. Or like how the 'Queen of the Damned' soundtrack really made me feel understood.

This morning, when I turned on my Spotify, I was notified that there was a new album "I might like", LANY's new album 'Malibu Nights'. While I like LANY's songs that I hear on the radio, I've never actually exerted any extra effort to really get to know them as a band or to delve further into their music.

Today, I decided to listen to the entire album on Spotify during my 4am run. Wrong. Fucking. Move.

try to tell me we’re not the most artistically thoughtful band in the world. “malibu nights” october 5th pic.twitter.com/nXwIvfS3Tc

— LANY (@thisisLANY) September 29, 2018

In 'Malibu Nights', Paul Klein sings about love and longing amidst the loss of a lover after a heartbreak. And the lyrics are so on point, I got so lost in them to the point where I started visualizing all sorts of suicidal scenarios while standing gobsmacked under the bright lights of a 7-11 down the street.

I forced myself to keep moving, but the more I moved and the more I listened, the more I started imagining myself buying a pack of razors or maybe a bunch of sleeping pills and whiskey, depending on which song would come on. (I have a mental problem, but don't worry... It mostly just involves me imagining these things. Like a lot. But I don't actually do them.)

LANY really shows raw vulnerability in the songs in this album and all of the lyrics are realistic, relatable, and downright heart-wrenching.

The song 'Malibu Nights' itself talks about the alcohol-drowned spiral one goes through after a breakup, where everything feels empty, including your walls, your life, and yourself. It goes deeper than that, though, with lines that ask things like, "I feel my body giving up. Can I hold on for another night?" It sounds so simple, but to me, it's incredibly relatable given my fragile mental state. All of the songs are amazing, though.

From 'Thick and Thin', depicting a picture of a petty argument gone wrong (man, would I love to hear someone do the girl's side of this song); to 'Taking Me Back', 'Let Me Know', and 'If You See Her', beautifully painting a picture of the desperation we feel after a breakup; to 'I Don't Wanna Love You Anymore', basking in the pain and reminiscing about the good times; to 'Valentine's Day', perfectly showcasing our failed attempts to move on; to 'Run', which naturally not everyone will be able to relate to... BUT I DID. Lol.

'Thru These Tears' is the only song in this album that actually has a relatively positive connotation to it - like there's hope at the end of the tunnel; but still, it hurts to listen to it.

The album is brilliant if you're a masochist like me, but I still need to let out this PSA: Do NOT listen to this album if you're currently going through or have just gone through a breakup. I repeat: DO NOT LISTEN TO THIS ALBUM IF YOU ARE CURRENTLY GOING THROUGH OR HAVE JUST GONE THROUGH A BREAKUP. It will ruin you. It will leave you lying on your ceramic tile floor for five hours listening to it on loop as you stare at the ceiling and ponder on your newly-broken relationship's life. You have been warned.

4 Basic Tips on How to Take Cute Photos of Your Pets

Of course your pet is cute any day of the month and any time of the year. However, you gotta admit that it can sometimes be a major pain in the butt to try to take his/her picture... amirite?

Well, that's a problem that Fujifilm recognizes, and with that realization comes the Fujifilm X-T100, which aims to help you capture precious moments of your beloved pets with quality photographs and amazing videos. Some of its cool features include a high magnification electronic viewfinder, a horizontal tilting rear LCD screen, and an extended battery life of up to 430 frames.

The Fujifilm X-T100 proves that you don't need expensive equipment to capture the awesomness of your pets; you just need the basics. Here are some basic tips to help you out:

Know your aperture.

If you want to blur out the background, widen your aperture. If you want your background to stay in focus, use a smaller aperture. Or, you know, just use the Fujifilm X-T100. Its electronic viewfinder will easily help you see how your chosen aperture affects your photos.

Make sure you have a fast shutter speed.

Since animals tend to move around a lot, it is important to have a fast shutter speed to get sharp photos of them. Fortunately, the Fujifilm X-T100 has a phase detection autofocus system and an autofocus algorithm that makes it focus faster and more precisely.

Choose a good location.

Of course, where you are matters, too. Regardless of the location that you choose, though, you can rest easy knowing that the Fujifilm X-T100 has a built-in pop-up flash and native ISO of up to 12,800. So whether the lighting is great or kinda sucky, bring it on!

Get to know your pet better.

Before planning a proper shoot, try to get to know your pets' camera mannerisms better. Are they playful or curious? Are they scared or malambing? Getting to know them better will also help you figure out how to let their unique personalities shine in the photos. Experiment with your pets' angles, too. Who knows? Maybe they have a "good side" just like you!

Once the photos are ready, you probably won't be able to wait to show the world. Well, you can transfer photos from the Fujifilm X-T100 instantly, thanks to its built-in WiFi and Bluetooth technology. It's also compatible with the Fujifilm Instax SP-3 printer, so you can print and share images more than ever before.

The Fujifilm X-T100 is available in Dark Silver, Black, and Champagne Gold. It retails at Php39,990. Visit Fujifilm's website, like them on Facebook, and follow them on Instagram for more updates!